Beach Diving

[Ironcat]

I am looking for a few decent spots to beach dive where I don't have to swim the length of a football field to get to anything interesting.
We have warm water with relatively little waves, our shore isn't rocky, our shelf has a nice easy slope, surely someone besides me thinks beach diving is a good idea?
Yes I know it can be tiring, yes I know you get sand up your buttcrack, but I am not rich and the money I save on boats can be used for gear.
Anyone got any decent beach dive spots? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Go to Broward County. Great beach diving. Lots of us here that beach dive. In another thread I saw a beach dive later this week in N. Ft. Lauderdale.

 

[Mambo Dave]

To see something interesting, you may have to go out the length of a football field from the beach. This is really no big deal as part of it can be waded - sometimes a good part of it. On the south side of the Commercial (road) fishing pier, and south of the life-guarded beaches in Pompano Beach, is a first reef that certainly has stuff to look at.

Then there is a secondary, but not the 'official' second (for boaters), reef that is more than a football field out there (like two of them I guess). This reef isn't everywhere, and it is barely discenable on the underwater relief maps, but it's a good bit better than the first when you do find it.

Best,

D

 

[TLS]

I like the Oakland Park blvd area. That's where we go most of the time. And there's a dive shop right there. It's a bit scarce at first, but about 2/3 of the way out on the first reef, it gets nice. The second reef is even better, but it's quite a haul.
As far as shore diving to a reef in S. Florida in under a hundred yards, I'm not aware of any.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

hey TLS, would love to dive Oakland Park sometime.

 

[TLS]

Wow, that was a fast reply. Actually, I'm off today and tomorrow and as it turns out, 2 of the guys I dive with are warm blooded animals ie. May-Oct divers and another has family in town, so I'm buddyless at the moment. ... Let me know. If not today or tomorrow, I'm looking to go this coming Monday early afternoon with 1 other guy.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Weekend are my dive times. Friday night and Saturday. Will change when Hermit Crab is out of school for the summer, though..

 

[Mambo Dave]

TLS, you oughtta join us up around the pier if you can hitch a ride up our way on weekdays around 3 PM. We've got quite a number of 'cold' Florida water beach divers that like to meet. Most people I've met and dove with through SB have been excellent buddies, too.

 

[TLS]

Mambo Dave,
Thanks for the invite. I'd like to take you up on it. Weekdays are better for me too, although, once in great while, I can catch a weekend dive. So, when are you going? BTW, I'm in a boat club too. I sometimes go diving in Fort Lauderdale to Barracuda Reef and Twin ledges- both just outside of Port Everglades, but more often from Miami- I've done a few wrecks and Emerald Reef is incredible.

 

[SFLDiver]

Oakland Park is where I typically head for a kayak dive.
Yep, the 2nd reef is definitely sweeet, and a haul as a beach dive.

Football fields .... well, after some of the local beach renourishment projects (haRumph) you might just have to walk that length to get to the surfline. John Lloyd State Park in Dania as an example. Man, that is one wide beach. I kept looking around for a "Coming soon, another Publix" construction sign.

Like I mentioned elsewhere, I'm itchin to get the yaks out at Hibiscus to the buoys.